Tea partier open to tax increase

Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) said he will reconsider his opposition to any tax increase, but only if it comes with a 3 to 1 ratio of cuts to tax increases.

“It’s ridiculous for a Republican to be accepting any increase rates if there are no real cuts,” Labrador said on Wednesday. “If there are real cuts in spending, if there is real reform in entitlement program, I think all of us would have to reconsider our position.”

Labrador, who was elected in the tea party-wave of 2010, had previously cited a 10 to 1 requirement for spending cuts to tax increases, but said on Wednesday that President Obama campaigned on a 3 to 1 ratio and he wanted to hold him to it.

At this point, however, there doesn’t appear to be any fiscal cliff compromise that the White House would accept that hits the 3 to 1 ratio. Still, it’s significant that one of the no-tax-increase freshmen Republicans would even consider a tax increase scenario.

“The issue should be the president talked about a balanced approach, I disagree with the balanced approach but he won the election,” Labrador said. “When the president of the United States comes to me with a deal that has $5 trillion in spending cuts, where we’re actually dealing with the fiscal crisis that we’re dealing facing in America today, then I will consider compromising on some of the issues.”

Labrador complained about what he described as Republicans negotiating with themselves instead of Democrats.

“I want to see real cuts, I’m not saying yes and I’m not saying no, but I’m not going to negotiate with you and I’m not going to negotiate with Republicans, that’s what we’re doing right now, we’re negotiating with ourselves, and we’re making ourselves look silly when we have a real problem in America that we need to solve,” Labrador said.

Speaking at a “Conversations with Conservatives” event with several fellow conservative members, Labrador got some support from his colleges.

“I’m with Raul on this,” said Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.). “But there is not a deal from either side where we want it that we would consider raising taxes.”